Critics fume after Trump donates salary to National Park Service

President Donald Trump has donated over $78,000 – his entire first-quarter salary – to the National Park Service, leaving his critics spluttering about broken promises and the cost of security for his residences in New York and Florida.

Trump, who was a billionaire real-estate tycoon before running for president, initially tried to decline a salary altogether, but it turned out he was legally required to take one. He then said he would donate all of it to a charity, and even invited reporters to give suggestions.

On Monday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters that “every penny” Trump was paid between January 20 and the end of March will be handed over to the NPS.

Other Democrats estimated the amount would cover just over 12 hours of security for Trump’s New York residence, where First Lady Melania Trump has remained since the inauguration, or the Trump resort in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, where the president prefers to spend his weekends.

Trump is donating his "78k check" to NPS.

78k is also what US taxpayers pay for 12.5 hrs of security for Melania living in NY & not the WH.

One of the “alternative” NPS Twitter accounts, launched after Trump’s inauguration, described the donation as a “damned insult” and a rude gesture to all “alt” accounts purportedly set up by staff that worked under Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama.